On June 9, 1920, Aina Nagobads-Ābola was born in Riga – a physician, émigré civic figure, and one of the first diplomats of restored Latvia. She began her diplomatic career at the age of 70, becoming honorary consul in France, later ambassador to France, Spain, and Portugal, and Latvia’s representative to UNESCO. President Egils Levits called her a benchmark of Latvian diplomacy, emphasizing her role in Latvia’s return to the international arena.

Nagobads-Ābola’s life links interwar Latvia, exile, and the restoration of national independence. Her contacts in France were especially important when Latvia needed to reestablish its diplomatic presence quickly and recover state assets abroad.